Air cleaners are generally used to filter combustion intake air for internal combustion engines of a variety of vehicles and other equipment such as: trucks; buses; off-road construction equipment; agricultural equipment; generator sets; etc. Such air cleaners generally include a housing, an air flow inlet and an air flow outlet. A removable and replaceable main filter cartridge is positioned in the housing. The housing includes a service or access cover, for selected access to the internally received filter cartridge, for servicing. The filter cartridge is typically serviced by being removed and either: being replaced with a factory new cartridge; being refurbished and being re-installed; or, by being replaced with a previously used, but refurbished, cartridge.
Over the past 20 years, there has been a substantial of filter cartridges which are sealed to the housing with a radial seal, (either radially inwardly directed or radially outwardly directed.) Examples are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,480; US 2006/0254229 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,614; WO 2007/022171 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,778; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,701, incorporated herein by reference. In some instances, with such cartridges, the end of the cartridge remote from the seal is supported against cantilevered motion. In such arrangements as U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,480, as shown in FIG. 2 of that reference, support is provided by a portion of the access cover surrounding the closed end of the cartridge remote from the seal. In such arrangements as U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,614, support is provided by a projection on the access cover extending internal of the end of the cartridge remote from the access cover. In WO 2007/009040 both are included.
Relatively recently, some arrangements have been developed to also inhibit rotational movement of the cartridge, once installed. Examples are described in WO 2007/009040 and WO 2007/022171.
Alternatives have been sought to obtain good support of the main cartridge, against cantilevered movement. Also, in some instances, it is desirable to provide for a non-rotatable mounting of the filter cartridge within the housing. Further it has been desirable to develop an air cleaner assembly arrangement in which an attempt to install an unapproved cartridge (incorrect cartridge) is readily recognizable.